Eleven year old boys shouldn't know about
by Strawberry Pocky Stix
Summary: School. Girls. Homework. Everything an eleven year old boy SHOULDN'T know about. But everything he was about to learn about. But in sixth grade, in a small town, they don't exactly teach kids how to save the world. Zak*OC? On Hiatus
1. Drabble Prolouge

**Me: This is NOT A DRABBLE FIC! This is just a VERY SHORT opening to a story that's been sitting in the back of my mind for about a month. There be OCs all over the place, so if you actually want to contribute your OC, I welcome requests.**

**_ I DO NOT OWN THE SECRET SATURDAYS.

* * *

_**

_SLAM! _

_**Click.**_

Zak Saturday slammed himself down on his bed and covered his head with his pillow, letting out an exasperated yell.

* * *

_Flashback, 2 minutes ago._

"_Zak, you start tomorrow and that's that!" Doc yelled. His son glared at him._

"_So I can't go on missions, instead I have to go to school? Were you two ever kids?!?" He yelled back._

_Fiskerton and Komodo stood back, knowing that interfering with this would be a death wish in itself. _

"_Yes, Zak, we were. And we know how much of life you'll miss if you don't have friends!" Drew this time._

"_UGH!" Zak growled. "You're so annoying! Thanks for ruining my life!" He ran off straight to his room._

"_Yeah, you're welcome!" He heard from behind him. The door slammed shut, clicking as it locked. Zak plopped on is back and coved his face with his pillow, yelling into it. _

_END FLASHBACK_

* * *

He sighed.

School.

Girls.

Homework.

Everything an eleven year old boy SHOULDN'T know about.

But everything he was about to learn about.

_SIGH _

**I should be updating soon. My first few OCs enter in the next chapter. Review with constructive criticisim PLEASE!**

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	2. Bullies

**Me: This is a story that's been sitting in the back of my mind for about a month. There be OCs all over the place, so if you actually want to contribute your OC, I welcome requests.**

**I DON'T OWN THE SECRET SATURDAYS**

* * *

**Chapter one  
Bullies**

"Bye bye, Zak. Have a good day." Drew said, giving him a kiss on his cheek. Zak stumbled off the airship into the school parking lot which was vacant of all life. The air ship took off behind him and flew away. He stumbled over to the back doors and leaned up against one in the process of reaching for the handle. He was almost asleep again before the doors opened, knocking him backwards onto the concrete. His backpack cushioned him, but not by much.

"Well! What have we here boys?" A sneering voice asked, a tint of amusement in the tone.

"Looks like new blood, boss!" Another voice remarked. Zak opened his eye and sat up. In front of him were three boys.

The boy in the center looked like he was about thirteen. He had green eyes and greasy black hair. He looked about twenty pounds overweight and three inches under height. Two mismatched sneakers covered his feet. He had on a pair of old, torn up blue jeans that looked like they needed to be washed. His shirt was an old grubby tee that had seen better days. His jacket was about the only decent thing on him.

The blonde and brunette behind him both had similar outfits. In fact, the only drastic difference between the three were the slender frames of the others.

"Well," The boy in the middle said, smirking. "I think we oughta teach this little shrimp that this here school's our turf! Waddaya say, boys?"

The brunette spoke now. "I'm with ya, Marshall!" He said. His voice was pretty normal.

"Fitch?" Marshall turned to the blonde. He gave a toothy grin and nodded.

"I'm with ya, Boss!" He said, almost excitedly. Marshall smirked and walked over to Zak, who was now standing. He grabbed his backpack handle and slammed him against the brick wall.

"Alright bub," He snarled, an unpleasant scent on his breath. "Listen up. This here school's our turf. Particularly the playground. So mind yourself, got it?"

Zak pushed against him, forcing him to fall on his back. Marshall hit the ground with an 'Oof!' The other boys stood in shock. Fitch approached cautiously. "B-boss?" He began to ask.

Marshall's eyes shot open, anger shone fiercely in them. Fitch jumped back, slamming right into the third boy. "Watch it, man!"

"Sorry, Mainzer." Fitch apologized. Marshall jumped up and glared intensely at Zak.

"Look, runt," He yelled. "Nobody, Nobody! Pushes Kevin Marshall around! So you better get some wits about you before it causes you a dirt nap! Got it?"

Zak looked him straight in the eye. "You aren't the boss of me." He said. Marshall's fists balled. The anger in his eyes turned into a blind rage. Fitch cowered behind Mainzer, who was watching in a bit of fear.

"Boss," He began. "Don't lose your mind, he's just a hopeless idiot who-"

"Shut the frig up!" Marshall yelled, glaring at the lackey, who shut his mouth. Fitch's eyes shut tightly. Marshall's eyes locked back on Zak's. "Any last words, runt?" Marshall asked. Zak said nothing. The other boy smirked.

"Alright then!" Marshall yelled, aiming a punch a Zak's face. He was just about to bring it down when…

"Kevin Marshall!" A voice yelled. Marshall's punch stopped just inches from Zak's right eye. A blush slowly spread across the other's face as he turned around, just like the other boys did. Zak managed to look past Marshall. There stood a girl with shoulder length green hair. Her eyes were a pretty turquoise color. She had on a wide magenta headband with two roses on one side. She had on a beige tube top with a short orange vest that buttoned together across the breast. Her pants were flared at the bottom with a slanted waistband. Her shoes consisted of some black high-heeled boots. Her backpack was messenger-style.

"M-miss Doyle!" The threesome exclaimed. The girl approached Marshall.

"This has got to be a new low. For even you, Kevin." She spat. "What'd he do to you? Accept start coming to the school? You walk around like your all that and I'm sick of it! _Sick!_" She turned to the others.

"And you! You two should be ashamed of yourselves! How would you feel if it was you receiving a black eye?!? God!" She walked over and pushed Marshall away from Zak. "I can't stand to look at you three right now! Get out of here before I get you out myself!" She yelled, pointing to the doors. The boys scrambled away, through the doors, leaving her with Zak.

He stared at the girls back for a few seconds. She did a few deep breaths before turning around to face him. She had a sweet smile on her face. "Sorry you had to see that." She apologized. "But I should probably thank you for not unleashing Marshall's inner beast."

"No, no!" Zak insisted. "I should be thanking you. If you hadn't come along when you did, I'd be going in on my first day with a black eye."

"Yeah. That would've sucked. But, your injury's not that bad." She replied. He looked curious.

"Injury?" He asked. She nodded.

"Yeah. One right here on your cheek." She traced it. "Quite the shiner, too."

He shrugged. "Ah well. Anyway, who were those guys?"

"Oh, _them?_" She asked with distaste. He nodded. "That was Kevin Marshall and his group of lackeys. Cole Fitch and Alex Mainzer. They're a no-good group of punks who fancy themselves the 'School Rulers'. Three Stooges is more like it." She rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't pay any attention if I were you. You're usually safe. Detentions are a hobby for them." She sighed. "But, moving on. You are….?"

"Oh!" He exclaimed. "I'm Zak. Zak Saturday." He extended a hand. She shook it happily.

"I'm Macy. Macy Doyle."

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**Me: So that was chapter one. Good? Bad? Very Ugly? Please review. **


	3. Girls

**Me: This is a story that's been sitting in the back of my mind for about a month. There be OCs all over the place, so if you actually want to contribute your OC, I welcome requests.**

**I DON'T OWN THE SECRET SATURDAYS**

* * *

**Chapter 2  
Girls**

"It's great to meet you, Zak." She said with a smile.

He smiled back. "It's great to meet you too, Macy." She looked up at the school clock.

"We've got thirty minutes 'til homeroom. You wanna come meet some of my friends?" She asked. He nodded. "Alright, then. Follow me." Her hand motioned for him to follow. She pulled one of the doors open and stepped inside. They wiped their feet on the rug, which was covered with footprints of sand and dirt. There were a few pebbles and some fall leaves strewn across the blue material.

Zak looked to the left. There was the cafeteria. In the corner was a drink machine. He looked to the left. There was a hallway with multiple doors and a billboard at the end. "Zak!" Macy called. He couldn't see her for a moment, then she popped out from behind one of the shut doors. "Follow me." She said. He followed her to a set of about four stairs right past the furnace. It led up to a stage. The curtains were a dark green.

"Where are we going?" He asked.

"We're in the seventh and eighth grade wing. You're in sixth grade, right?" He nodded. "Then we need to go to the 4-6 wing. Those three grades meet in the multi-purpose room before class. Oh!" She turned around to face him. "Do you know what classroom you're in?"

He nodded again. "Mr. Bickford." She smiled.

"Sweet! We're in the same class. But, anyway," She turned around. "Onward! To the multi-purpose room!"

She descended the opposite staircase into the gym. It had bleachers on either wall and a 'Go Tigers' mat on the opposite wall. The mat stood right between two sets of double doors. They passed the girl's locker room on the way to one of the doors. She pushed through them, him following close behind.

"And here we are entering the sixth grade hallway of Henry Wilson Memorial School! If you look to your right, you will find the Nurse's office and the ISS room. Immediately after, you will find Mr. Bickford's room and Ms. Tibbetts' room. If you look to your left, you will find the library."

He listened to her the whole way, though not exactly paying attention until they turned and she let out a surprised, muffled cry. He looked up to see a brunette holding a wide-eyed Macy by the shoulders, his lips crushed against hers. Before Zak could act, she pushed the boy away.

"Gah! What the heck are you doing?!?" She yelled. He smirked.

"Just showing this guy who's mine." He tilted his head to Zak, then tried to lean into her again.

"Ugh, you wish! I'm not your or anyone else's! Now, scram!" She commanded, pushing him away yet again. He smirked again.

"I see. Little lady needs privacy. Alright then. See you after school." He turned and flashed a peace sign over his shoulder. Zak stepped back as he watched Macy, quietly brooding for the second time that morning. Then, she seemed to become aware of his presence again. She turned around, a sweet smile plastered to her face.

"Who as that guy?" He asked. Her face fell again.

"His name is Lee Willingham." She stated. "If I had to give him a character in relation to mine, He'd be the over- possessive-and- delusional- ex-boyfriend." She sighed. "I have enough guys after me as it is…." A pause. "Hey, can I come over to your place after school? I need to escape him for a while."

He thought for a minute. "Well, I suppose so. I mean, my parents won't mind." A shrug. "Sure, why not?" He felt a hand on his head. He looked at her.

"Thanks. You rock. Now let's go." She turned back to the inside of the Multipurpose room.

"Macy!" A girl called, running toward them. She had short brown hair and blue eyes. She had on a pair of bellbottom jeans and a black 'Mexican Cantina' shirt.

"Hey, Meg." Macy greeted as the girl came to a stop. "I read that story on . You really are a great author!" Her friend smiled. She turned to Zak. "Zak, this is Megan Knole, Ms. Tibbetts' niece. Megan, this is Zak Saturday, the new kid."

The two shook hands. "Great to meet you, Zak." She said.

"Same here." He replied simply. Megan smiled, turning to Macy.

"Hey, Mace, are you coming to play practice tomorrow?" She asked. Macy shook her head.

"Nah. There aren't really any major scenes that need me yet. Besides, I'm still contemplating whether or not to- Gah!" Suddenly, she fell backwards, her backpack flipping open and spilling its contents onto the tile floor.

"Oh, sorry!" Said a mockingly apologetic voice. "I didn't see you there. But wait…. Who would?" There was a group of giggles. Macy looked up to see a girl with long, blonde hair and brown eyes.

"Hey, leave her alone." Zak demanded. She looked at him in surprise. The blonde girl, seeming to notice him now, got all giggly.

"Oh, uh, hi…" She said shyly, the other girls behind her seeming to mimic her mood change as they slipped off, all giggles and little waves. The boy rolled his eyes and helped Macy gather her books again.

"You okay, Macy?" He asked, handing her a folder. She nodded.

"Yeah, thanks Zak."

"Who were those girls?"

"That was Minerva Smith and her sisters. They're triplets." Standing up, she stuck her science binder back into her bag. "We used to be friends. To be honest, I think I'm just excluded from the group 'cause I don't have a mom." She sighed and leaned against the wall. Only when the fire in her eyes went out, at the mention of her mother, did Zak realize just how brightly it'd burned.

"What happened?" He asked. Megan replied.

"Macy's mom was killed in an auto accident two years ago. We were in the middle of the biggest basketball game of the season, up against Dover." She explained. "Macy had just been put in the game as I scanned the audience for her family. Her dad and older sister were there, but her mom still wasn't. Veronica, Macy's older sister, was starting to look toward the doors more often. The game was almost over when I caught the figure of Macy's dad talking to the principal and chief of police. The next moment, The officer and Macy's dad ran out the doors. Veronica told me what was happening and asked me to talk to the coach before she too ran out." Megan's eyes were now downcast, her voice solemn. "When I explained to Coach what was going on, she pulled Macy from the game, quickly replacing her with another player. I didn't want to explain then, so I took Macy into the locker room. From then on, it was basically tears."

"Okay, Line up!" A male voice called. Zak looked up to see a tall red-head wearing a white polo shirt and some blue jeans. He was carrying a coffee in his hand and a book under his arm.

"That's Mr. Johnson." Macy stated. "He's a fifth-grade teacher. You'll rarely see him, if any. Now come on," She gently tugged his backpack. "Our line's over here." He followed the girls closely.

"Hey Macy," He began. "What were you going to say earlier, before Minerva pulled you back?"

"Oh, then? I was gonna say that I still don't know if I want to go to the dance tomorrow or not." She looked over her shoulder. "It's just one of those cheesy Halloween dances where everyone dresses up as something really stupid. They play the annoying songs that get stuck in your head when you don't want them there, not to mention the costume contest where it's nearly impossible to win. But, you can still hang with friends, I guess." She shrugged as they arrived at the last line to the right.

"Alright," Mr. Johnson began after every class had lined up. He pointed to their line. "Mr. Bickford's class, you guys go first." He pointed out the large double-doors with his thumb. The line began to move out the doorway and down the hall, down to the third-to- last door before the 7-8 wing.

"Well Zak," Macy turned to him, a goofy smile on her face. "Good luck today." She winked.

"You're gonna need it."

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**Me: So that was chapter two. Good? Bad? Very Ugly? Please review. **


	4. School

**Me: I'M BACK, BABY! This is a story that's been sitting in the back of my mind for about a month. There be OCs all over the place, so if you actually want to contribute your OC, I welcome requests.**

**I DON'T OWN THE SECRET SATURDAYS**

* * *

**Chapter 3  
School**

The classroom was pretty basic and neat; on one wall there were some pegs for backpacks and jackets. A set of cubby holes were above them, the last five containing books like '_Where the Red Fern Grows'. _And _'A Christmas Carol'_. In the front of the room, there was a large whiteboard with a group of markers on the magnetic basket. Right next to that, there was a large bulletin board that Halloween decorations that matched to ones that were all around the room. Kids filed in and began to get ready for the day. The teacher was at his desk seeming pretty absorbed in his work.

"Mr. B," Macy began, walking up to the desk with Zak. The man looked up. He had emerald green eyes and red hair. His clothing consisted of a light blue polo, some dress pants and a Snoopy tie. "This is the new student, Zak Saturday." He stood up.

"Ah, yes. I met your parents, Zak." He extended his hand. "I'm Mr. Bickford, but everyone calls me Mr. B. Wonderful to meet you." Zak nodded in response and shook the man's hand. He had a lingering Irish accent, but it wasn't to unbearably heavy. He motioned for the boy to follow as he walked to the front of the room. Everyone else was settled, even Macy.

"Good morning, everyone. I hope you had a phenomenal weekend. Especially you Camryn, with that con." He spoke to a smiling girl in a 'Haruhi Suzumiya' cosplay getup. "Well, I'd like to introduce a new student, Zak Saturday." Everyone looked up at him. He slowly looked around. Smiling faces, tired faces, and just plain passive ones. Even faces he saw only for a split second.

"Darren, raise your hand please." Mr. Bickford called. In the back of the third row from the left, a black-covered arm was raised in the air; a sweatshirt sleeve flopped over where the hand would be. "Okay Zak, if you would, your seat is right behind him." Zak nodded and walked back to the seat. Darren looked at him as he passed.

He had earlobe-length black hair and sapphire eyes. His sweatshirt said 'Born to be BAD' on the back. His jeans were old and faded, a few tears scattered here and there. He gave a friendly wave. Zak flashed a wave back before sitting down. Darren turned around and stuck out a hand.

"Welcome to Henry Wilson, Zak." He said kindly. Zak smiled and shook his hand.

"Thanks. Darren, right?" The boy nodded.

"Yup. Darren Matthews. And over there," He pointed over his shoulder to a blonde boy with black eyes. "Is my best friend, Andrew Patch. We're both in computer class with you." Zak nodded and looked around.

"Who's that?" He motioned to a boy with strawberry blonde hair and dark brown eyes. He was staring out the window blankly.

"Oh him? That's Trace Artt. His twin brother is in the next class over, Ms. Tibbetts' room."

"Twins?" Zak repeated. Darren nodded.

"As they say: Two heads are more annoying than one." At that, Mr. Bickford began attendance. Zak found out he was the seventh up from the bottom of the list. After attendance was math.

That part of the morning went off without a hitch. But nevertheless, when computer class rolled around, Zak's head was spinning He'd never had that much learning all at once… His head was leaned back over the back of his chair. He felt someone tapping his head, though he wished they'd stop.

"Hey, kid, you alright?" A voice asked. It had a slightly southern accent and was deeper than what he would expect a sixth grader's to be. He opened one eye and gazed blearily at the voice's owner. A tall guy in a grey sweatshirt stood there, his thumbs hooked in his jean pockets. He had piercing blue eyes, wine colored hair that looked a little greasy, and a scar that went from his temple to the twitching corner of his mouth. To top it off, he looked about fourteen. Darren stood next to him. Their facial structures and eyes almost made them seem like brothers.

"Zak," He began, gripping the other boy's shoulder. "This is my brother, Tex Matthews. Tex, this is Zak Saturday- the new guy." Zak slid out of his seat and stood up slowly. Tex ruffled his hair.

"Hey kid, good to meet ya." Zak gave a small smile. His head was still spinning. "Education overload?" He nodded. Tex shrugged. "You get used to it." Zak rubbed his head.

"I hope so." He commented.

"Okay, line up!" Mr. Bickford called. Tex nudged him along.

"Stick with Darren for now. He'll make sure you get the hang of things. I'll meet up with y'all at lunch." He said. Darren smiled.

"Alright. I'll keep 'im from collapsing." He said. Andrew got in line behind Darren. With that, the class was on their way. It took literally less than two minutes to reach their destination, and another three to get everyone off to their UA. Zak followed Andrew, Darren, and the girl in the cosplay. What was it… Camryn? Yeah, yeah, Camryn. Anyway, anyone else who was in their class was behind him.

They reached the computer lab door, greeted by an average- height, African-American woman, in her thirties at most, short brown hair and green eyes. She had on a purple sweater and some black dress pants, then her shoes were black high-heels. She also wore several pieces of jewelry- A necklace, some earrings, and a ring on her left hand.

"Welcome, students." She began cheerfully. "For those of you who don't know, I'm Mrs. Sovart. I teach computer here at Henry Wilson. Well, let's get started, shall we? Go on in."

The line was lead into a room with four rows- one long one in front, and three split ones in back to create a path down the middle. It was a dimly lit room, with rectangular windows on the left wall. It displayed the parking lot, which was now packed compared this morning, the tennis court, the windows to the wood-tech room, where there were several students at the work tables, and the little white shed that he was unsure about the purpose. Everybody sat down. Zak slipped into the seat next to Darren. Just as the teacher began attendance, a girl slid into the seat next to Zak. She was pretty- curly blonde hair and green eyes. The teacher finished attendance soon and set Zak up with his password. As soon as she left, the girl next to him ruffled his hair.

"I heard about you in class, rookie!" She smiled. "Zak, right?"

"Yup. And you?"

"My name's Chessie, kid. And yes- I'm fourteen. Tex and I were each held back a year in fifth grade. " She brushed her bangs aside. "So, is Darren you're 'First day buddy'?" Zak nodded.

"He's been helping me out with names so far. That girl, Camryn. I've seen her looking at me a lot." Chessie didn't seem surprised. She casually shrugged and turned back to her computer.

"She's prolly got a crush on ya. Knowing her, you look like a character from some anime." Darren chuckled.

"If anyone, it's Haru from Furuba." But she didn't seem to hear him. He elbowed Zak in the side playfully. "She goes deaf some times. Don't hold it against her."

"I won't."

"I hope not. That just happens to be Andrew's girlfriend." Zak vaguely remembered Darren mentioning Andrew Patch. In fact, he could see him from his seat. He wondered what he was like. "I'll introduce you guys at lunch."

With that, computer class flew by. And so did math. In fact, after math class, Zak didn't even have a headache. It went so fast! But, this was only the first part of the day. Lunch was still yet to come.

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**Me: So that was chapter three. Good? Bad? Very Ugly? Please review. **


	5. School Part two

**Me: I'M BACK, BABY! This is a story that's been sitting in the back of my mind for about a month. There be OCs all over the place, so if you actually want to contribute your OC, I welcome requests.**

**I DON'T OWN THE SECRET SATURDAYS**

* * *

**Chapter four  
School (Part 2)**

Zak dropped his pencil onto the completed history worksheet in front of him and stretched. He glanced at Macy at the other side of the room. She was talking to a girl with long black hair in an Elmo sweatshirt, who turned around and wiggled her pink-chipped finger nails at him. He smiled back at her. She and Macy stood up and walked over to him.

"Zak," Macy began. "This is my best friend, Kati Marsh. Kati, this is Zak." Kati shook his hand.

"Bonjour, Zak! Call me Kat, if you want. Everyone does." She said happily. He stood up.

"Sure." He said. She was a cute girl- pinkinsh eyes. She sounded French.

"She's French, if you couldn't tell." A voice inquired. It was Tex, walking up to them from behind. "Who's ready for lunch? It's pizza." He and Macy high-fived. Zak nodded. With that, the teacher told them to line up, and off they went. The path to the lunch room was fairly short- just across the hall and past the library, grade four hallway and playground door. As soon as they'd each gotten lunch, they sat down with Darren, Andrew and Chessie.

"So you've been homeschooled up 'till now?" Andrew asked.

"You could say that. I live with my uncle, parents, and three… bizarre pets. Out of that, I've learned enough." He said simply. He didn't want it getting around school that he learned from near-death experiences, lived on an airship 99.8 % of the time, and had a giant lizard, what looked like an over-grown monkey, and a tarradactyl- looking creature for pets. He knew he'd be an outcast- he didn't want to be a freak-show, too.

"Guys!" Chessie whispered. When she got everyone's attention, she pointed past Tex, to where Minerva and her sisters had stood up, and were approaching. "Missy Prissy's on her way over."

"À l'enfer avec elle ..." Kat muttered a French curse under her breath, glaring bitterly at the blonde who, all around had too much makeup on and looked like a twelve year old whore. She stopped right at the end of the table and smiled sweetly at Zak, leaving it to her sisters to send condescending gazes to the others.

"Hey, Zakkie!" she greeted, acting overly familiar and comfortable toward him. He said nothing. "So what's new?" He shrugged and took a bite of his pizza. She looked at him strangely, then regained her charming smile and played with her hair a bit. "Hey, about the Halloween dance tomorrow night-" Now he cut her off.

"Oh yeah, about that. Hey Macy," He turned to the girl beside him, who seemed to be surprised to hear her name mentioned.

"Yeah?"

"You're going to the dance, right?" She nodded. "Wanna go together?" He heard Minerva and her sisters gasp. Macy smiled.

"Sure Zak, I'd love to."

"It's settled, then." With that, he turned back to Minerva with a small smile.

"Now, what were you saying?" She glared at Macy, then at anyone else at the table who dared crack a grin. Then, she stormed off, back to her table. Kat got up and nearly suffocated Zak with her hug.

"Merci, Merci, Zak! Vous avez lu cette sorcière! Bravo, bravo!" She exclaimed. Tex laughed.

"She's thanking you for getting rid of that witch they call Minerva Smith." He explained at Zak's puzzled look. Kat sat back down.

"Oui, oui, je suis désolé. I simply speak French when I get excited." She explained. He smiled.

"It's alright." She smiled.

"Hey Zak, have you ever thought about going out for sports?" Andrew asked, taking a sip of milk.

"Actually, no. Why, do you think I should?" Zak asked. Andrew shrugged.

"Well, we could use an extra player on the soccer team. How about you, Meg?" He turned to Megan, who'd just sat down and bit one of her carrots.

"The tennis team's doing fine. We're just a little stretched on rackets is all."

"Chessie?" Andrew turned to his girlfriend.

"We're fine over on the Volley Ball team. Karen just broke her arm and Jake's mom just got put in the hospital, so we're a little tight on players, but we have enough right now."

"I think the basket ball team's recruiting players." Darren pointed out.

"Or cheerleading starts next week." Macy teased, playfully poking Zak in the side.

"Ch, right. You wish." He replied. She and Tex laughed.

"Hey, it's Fitch!" Megan exclaimed. And sure enough, there was Fitch, his hands stuffed in his jean pockets and a real guilty look on his face.

"Sorry 'bout earlier." He addressed Zak with the apology. "I- I mean we, as in, the guys, were… outta line." Zak smiled.

"It's cool." He said simply. Fitch gave the same toothy grin as before.

"Thanks, Saturday. You dig okay." With that, he was gone.

"That's just like him." Andrew stated. "Cole never was the kind to have enemies. But, apologizing for Kevin and Alex? That's new." Macy shrugged.

"He's a good kid, though. I don't know how he got mixed up with trash like Kevin." She stated. Darren nodded as he watched Chessie pile her pickles on her pizza. "Hey Zak," She looked at him. "I'll probably be in the art room until dismissal." He nodded.

"Okay, I'll come down and get you when they dismiss."

"You don't have to- I can walk to the room."

"Nah, I'll just get you from the art room." She shrugged.

"Fair enough." Lunch was over in a flash- or at least, too fast for Zak's liking. But at least recess was next. But alas- it flew by just as fast, if not faster. Before he could blink, they were back in the classroom reading. He and several other boys had comic books, a few kids had manga, but the majority vote had S.E. Hinton novels. Macy was in the art room- no surprise there. Eventually, the afternoon announcements came on.

"…._Good afternoon, Henry Wilson. I have a few announcements for you. First, the winners of the Pennies for patients drive. First place, Mr. Cardinal's class,"_ Cheers could be heard down the hall.

"_Second place, Mr. Bickford's class," _there was applause all around him.

"_And third place, Miss Hayden's class." _This time, nothing was heard.

"_The Halloween dance is tomorrow night. It's two dollars per person- please try to follow the dress code. Failure to do so will result in after school detentions for the rest of this week." _A few groans of dismay sounded around the room. _"Will the following students please report to the office: Garret Perch, Axel Marsh, Lisa Patch, Fei Patch, and Zak Saturday. Teachers, if your floors are picked up, you may dismiss your bussers." _The intercom shut off.

"All right bussers, you're outta here." Mr. B pointed to the back door. Kids piled out of the room. Out of the few that remained, there was Lonnie Morgan, Kat, Andrew, Camryn, and Jason Karp. Zak left the room and proceeded down the hall. Right after he passed the library, a boy came walking out of the room next to him. He had black eyes and dark brown hair.

"You're Zak, right?" He nodded. "Okay, I'm not insane. You almost reminded me of someone else." He stated.

When they entered the office, there were three kids already there. One had green eyes and towhead blonde hair. The one girl there had bobbed red hair and brown eyes. The other boy was African-American. He had blue eyes and short brown hair.

"Garret, Come in please." The principal stood in the door of her office. The towhead sulked in. The door closed.

"So, you're Zak, right?" The girl asked. Zak nodded. "I'm Lisa. Andrew's little sister." She smiled at him. "Welcome to HWMS."

"Thanks." He replied. The brunette spoke next.

"I'm Axel- Kati's brother." He ruffled Zak's hair. "Kat told me about you."

"I'm Fei. Andrew's adopted little brother. " The other boy spoke now.

"What happened to your birth parents?" Zak asked.

"They were killed in a plane crash when I was six." He replied.

"Oh." Zak replied, casting his eyes at the floor.

"Any hobbies?" Axel asked.

"Not really- traveling mostly." That wasn't a lie… It just wasn't the whole truth. He HAD been all over the world.

"Hey, what happened to your cheek?" Lisa asked. Zak ran a finger over the scratch.

"I dunno, I guess when I got into that scuffle with Kevin earlier I cut myself on a brick."

"Wow, Kevin got on your back your first day?" Fay asked. Zak nodded.

"That's a new low- even for him." Axel.

"That's what Macy said. Right to his face, too." Zak .

"Psht! That's great! She's the only one he puts up with." Lisa.

"Really?"

"Yeah, He's had a long time crush on her."

"Oh." The door to the principal's office opened and Garrett walked out, sulking more than before he went in. The principal smiled.

"Zak, please come in." Zak stood up and walked into the office. It was decked out with all kind of tiger merchandise. He heard the door close. "Please, take a seat." He sat down in the chair across from hers. She sat gingerly and pulled out a book. It had an orange cover with a growling tiger. "What comes with an education here at Henry Wilson is an agenda for every year." She handed it to him.

"It's quite important to help you succeed, as is this." She handed him another book. This one was smaller. It said 'Contacts'. "It's a school edition address book. To succeed, you need friends. In both High and low places. I've watched you today, Zak. You have the potential to fill those pages, and don't be shy about asking teachers. Last but not least," She pulled out one last book. "The student handbook. I want you to have your parents look over that with you. Anyway, other than that, I simply wanted to welcome you to Henry Wilson." She stood, walking to the door.

"Good afternoon." She dismissed, watching him pass her in the doorway. "Axel," She called. "I'll be with you in a moment." He nodded.

"Kay, Ms. Wiley." He said. As Zak walked by, he leaned up. "What happened, the typical starter books?" He nodded.

"Yup."

"Oh. Well, I'll see ya, Zak." He stood and walked to the principal's doorway. Zak left the office and walked briskly down the hall. Just as he got in the classroom;

"_Car riders and walkers, you are dismissed."_ He snatched up his backpack and bolted among the mess of other sixth-graders, pressing his way through to the seventh and eighth grade wing. He bolted down the hall, as to avoid the traffic of upperclassmen, and straight to the Art room. He stepped inside to see that it was deserted. There were several unfinished paint canvases lain across the tables, some stretched on easels. Several depicted magical creatures he'd heard of; Elementists, shape shifters, Ghost whisperers, chimeras, changelings… cryptids.

"Zak?" He spun around from examining one of the paintings. Macy stood there, a few bottles of paint in her arms. "I didn't expect you here this early."

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**Me: So that was chapter Four. Good? Bad? Very Ugly? Please review**


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